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Anyone who homeschools/learns by distance?

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Aseld
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14 Sep 2007, 2:50 am

I went to a regular school for the first nine years of my school career, but I absolutely hated it. I just couldn't cope. The last eighteen moths of regular school for me was the worst period of my life (so far). Now I attend the Open Access College, a school of distance education in Australia, and it is fantastic. Enrolling was the best decision I have ever made. All my teachers are fantastic and I can cope much more ably now.

Has anyone had a similar experience?



MrMark
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14 Sep 2007, 7:00 am

I've come to realize that I never really learned anything in school. I read the encyclopedia and the Time-Life Science series. More recently Peter Drucker and Forbes and Business Week.


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siuan
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14 Sep 2007, 11:45 pm

I attended Penn State for all but five of my required courses to complete my degree. The remaining five I have done through their Distance Education option, and I love it. It can be more challenging in some ways, academically speaking. Socially and emotionally it has been the best thing for me. I only did it because I moved and I'm too far from a campus to attend, but it's been a very good option for me and I would definitely recommend it to those who desperately want their degree but find the social demands of college too daunting.


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dasanbe
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15 Sep 2007, 12:06 pm

I've been going to a commuter school for years and I really wish that I could go to school at a college where I could live on campus but I feel that it would be way to much money to do something like that and I just can't do that because I didn't win the lottery yet but if I did then I would certainly be at one of those campuses.



siuan
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15 Sep 2007, 10:18 pm

dasanbe wrote:
I've been going to a commuter school for years and I really wish that I could go to school at a college where I could live on campus but I feel that it would be way to much money to do something like that and I just can't do that because I didn't win the lottery yet but if I did then I would certainly be at one of those campuses.


Student loans and finanial aid are available. Don't pass up something you want, just find a way.


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MsTriste
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15 Sep 2007, 11:23 pm

Aseld wrote:
I went to a regular school for the first nine years of my school career, but I absolutely hated it. I just couldn't cope. The last eighteen moths of regular school for me was the worst period of my life (so far). Now I attend the Open Access College, a school of distance education in Australia, and it is fantastic. Enrolling was the best decision I have ever made. All my teachers are fantastic and I can cope much more ably now.

Has anyone had a similar experience?


I'm doing online classes for my master's program. Are you using WebCT?

I've completed one year and have mixed feelings about the distance part. There are weekly discussions with the other students, and I find that people can be really mean in writing (kind of like here on WP), maybe meaner than they'd be if you were there in the classroom. But I sure don't miss having to sit in classrooms!



Aseld
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22 Sep 2007, 4:41 am

No, I've never used WebCT. Most contact with teachers and other students is either by phone or email.

I haven't found an increased level of meanness - quite the opposite. I think it's because a lot of the students are there because they couldn't handle a regular school, and understand what it's like to be bullied. Also possibly because a lot of the students are adult (usually ones who left school before completing year 12 and now wish to pursue higher education) and are usually a bit more mature. I guess it might be different in a university setting though.